Yesterday evening, while pruning the plum tree, I found the distinctive egg sacs of the theridid
Paidiscura pallens: they are white with pointy projections that make them look like the
Sputnik satellite. The tiny mother, less than 2 mm in length, sat atop hers oversized egg sac, which was attached to the underside of the leaf and to the spiders loose, tangled mess of silk threads. She nervously moved back and forth from the sac and around it, like sensing that something was amiss. Despite finding the egg sacs regularly, this is the first time I see the female spider guarding it. I found another pair of egg sacs today under a plum leaf, also guarded by the mother.
Two Paidiscura pallens egg sacs also from today.
The female and her two egg sacs from today.
